What connects Cruyff, Simonsen and Rodri?
Rodri is arriving at Spotify Camp Nou with a distinction reserved for very few: that of Ballon d'Or winner. With this accolade already to his name, the midfielder joins a select group of footballers who have worn the blaugrana shirt after being named the best player in the world. Only Johan Cruyff and Allan Simonsen had previously done so.
Cruyff, the game-changer
To speak of Johan Cruyff is to speak of a before and after in the history of FC Barcelona. The Dutchman won his first Ballon d'Or in 1971, while still playing for Ajax, becoming the first player from the Netherlands, and also from the Amsterdam club, to win the prestigious award.
Two years later he signed for Barça, where he would the Ballon d'Or again in 1973 and 1974, confirming his status as the perhaps world's the greatest player of the 1970s. His arrival transformed the club both on and off the pitch and left an indelible mark that still defines Barça's footballing identity today.
Simonsen, the great Dane
The second precedent is Allan Simonsen. The Danish forward won the Ballon d'Or in 1977 after a brilliant season with Borussia Mönchengladbach, finishing ahead of Kevin Keegan and Michel Platini in the voting. In the summer of 1979, he signed for FC Barcelona as one of the biggest stars in European football.
Rodri joins the club
Now it is happening again. The midfielder won the 2024 Ballon d'Or, becoming only the second Spanish footballer in history to do so after Luis Suárez.
The accolade capped an extraordinary season in which he was a driving force for both Manchester City and the Spanish national team. With the English side, he won the Premier League, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup, while with Spain he was crowned champion at Euro 2024, where he was also named Player of the Tournament. In the final Ballon d'Or voting, he finished ahead of Vinícius Júnior and Jude Bellingham.
